Cardiometabolic Risk

The PSYCKES Cardiometabolic Risk quality indicators focus on the risks that antipsychotic medications can pose to the health of consumers who have pre-existing health conditions that put them at risk for heart attacks, peripheral vascular disease, or strokes. The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) noted in a 2006 report that consumers with serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population. The major cause of this increased mortality was cardiovascular disease. The cardiometabolic quality indicators developed by PSYCKES identify consumers who have at least one risk factor for or already have cardiovascular disease, and who are currently prescribed an antipsychotic with a high or moderate risk of side effects such as diabetes, weight gain, and high cholesterol.